A "Colorful, Fun" Superman Movie Should Still Happen, Kingsman Director Matthew Vaughn Says

Kingsman director Matthew Vaughn may not have gotten to make the Superman film he was slated to tackle, but that doesn't mean he's left the idea behind entirely. He thinks a "colorful, fun" Superman film--something at odds with the darker tone of Zack Snyder's movies--could still work.

"I was desperate to do a Superman film. Desperate," Vaughn said to TheWrap. "I pitched a big Superman movie before they made 'Man of Steel.' I just got to work with Henry Cavill, which was lovely, on Argylle and he's unbelievable in it. I still think there’s room for a new Superman film, but a proper Superman film. A colorful, fun Superman movie. Not a dark one.

Vaughn also referenced 2016's Batman v Superman, which the director says was tonally at odds with his vision of Superman. "I just thought it was a mistake putting the Batman vibe into the Superman world. I just think they’re two separate--they’re just not relatable in any way, in my mind. It should be fun."

Beyond that, he noted that if he were able to work with Cavill on a Superman movie, they would "go off and make a great Superman movie."

Vaughn has experience in the superhero genre, having directed the '60s-set X-Men: First Class and the gritty Kick-Ass in 2010. While principal photography on Argylle has just wrapped up, Vaughn's prequel to the Kingsmen film series, The King's Man, will arrive in cinemas this week.

With work on Man of Steel and Batman v Superman wrapped up, it looked like the next big solo Superman film would see Vaughn helming that project. But before that could happen, disaster struck: Justice League arrived and was a critical flop, and the disappointing box office haul saw Warner Bros. change course on its plans to develop its cinematic shared universe. That said, more DC movies are on the way.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is currently filming, the first Flash solo movie is scheduled for a November 2022 release date, the upcoming Black Adam film that stars Dwayne Johnson looks like a brutal display of magical might, and The Batman finally arrives in theaters in March with some Kurt Cobain-inspired energy.